The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-02-04
MONSIEUR LIE CURE.
TIE Mystery Of n Picture at Last
Explained.

imet the Cure one evening as l was
returning home from the wood, wher,
1 had been sketching. The fine old MAJ
was standing on the doorstep of hi
prcsbytere, looking toward the sea
which al that moment was glorious be
meath the setting sun. bowed to hin
as passed, for his presence had Away.
inspired me with sympathy and respect
and 1 knew how much this tribute
from foreigner would crafty mem
her of that class. which the Republican
Government is bringing into disrespec,
by constant prosecutions.
Tie returned my salute with such
kindly courtesy that / took the oppor.
tuni,y, which 1 had long desired, Of
speaking to him.
"a lovely sight, Monsieur lc Cure, "
i said, pointing to the sea.
at is, indeed, monsieur" he an.
swcred, without looking round.
After awhile he added: lit is such
sights that reconcile one to this earth.
And yet, do not know; one has al.
ways the bitter certainty that very soon
the night will come, and all will be
dark
'.And, en- attendant" said, trying
to laugh away his evident melancholy,
eff do not get home soon the night
and her darkness will come most Ger.
tainly; and its breakneck path to
my house."
"But, monsieur" said the cure,
~'there is no hurry. I heard from the
village people that monsieur had ex-
pressed the desire to visit our church.
There is, indeed, little to see. but it,
Il should be most delighted" an.
swered.
81 will get the key" said he. leading
me into his simple parlor, and bidding
me sit down whilst he went upstairs
to fetch it.
The room was one of the poorest ir
point of decoration and furniture tina,
/ had seen in any house in the village
and yet there was one object which by
its great beauty compensated for al
the unloveliness of the rest. 1t was
the picture of young woman, painted
in oils, and signed by painter who
about thirty years ago had been at the
summit of his art The girl represent.
ed was most lovely, and it seemed tc
me that her face was one which had
been the model of many other artists
rs famous as the one who had painted
this portrait. A royalty feminine face
and here clothed with that expression
of timidity. blushing and afraid, which
in some women is SO sweet and SC
strongly appeals to all that is mobiles,
and most manly in man.
This was my first impressions; but, a.
i looked at it longer, the timidity, frou
being subjective merely, seemed t.
grow objective. 1t was not a timid
girl, it was girl afraid. Her eye.
seemed TO look with horror-for, or
still closer observation, the fear grew
into horror-on something that was no.
represented in the picture. How coult
il be, seeing that those fearful eve.
were looking out Of the plan. straigh,
over my head, who stood facing her, Al
the wall behind me? The picture wa.
by far too fine work of art for one t.
suppose that any attempt had beer
made to enhance its interest by an ex
traordinary and theatrical mise-eA
scene, and l felt it would be an insult
to the great painter to turn round and
see if any thing was visible to explain
the expression of those eyes. More:
over it was the expression that held me
not the reason thereof. l am not OF
those who seek in every picture ar
illustration.
l had stood before it some time, sadl,
envious of the technique of the depart
ed hand. and wondering what angel.
hand-the angel Raphaels, perhaps
had guided the painters fingers when
he had mixed that color of sun-kissed
auburn that sung-and colors sing
from those clustering curls of hair,
when the Cure came back into the
room. turned as / heard his step,
and as ! did so my eyes fell on the wall
on which my back had been turned.
Directly opposite the picture, and in
the point of vision of its eyes, hung a
napier. As / looked closer saw that
the point of this sword was black-o1
that ill-omened black that blood, long
since shed, does take. l almost felt
angry. Blood-stained rapier. or chrome
Autograph of some hobgoblin. ghoul OF
specter. it annoyed me to think that
any one should have ventured, with the
most vulgar taste of melodramatic eff.
feet to complete what was already SO
sublimely and perfectly complete. II
was the act of bourgeois of the bour-
geois, uneasy and disturbed if the
Seyres china statuet of Vatican shep-
herdess on this side of his Louis XIV.
timepiece has not on the yon side of it,
fronting her, as pendant, a languishine
Corrydon.
My annoyance was so real that / paid
but little attention to all that the Cure,